The holy spirit gift of understanding

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the LORD.
The Holy Spirit’s Gift of Understanding
Questions:Why do we receive the gift of Understanding? How does the Gift of
Understanding Operate? How does the gift of understanding help us? How
does Understanding help us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our Holy
religion? How does Jesus demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s gift of
Understanding? How do we acquire the gift of Understanding? Listening can
lead to better Understanding. What are the keyattributes for goodlistening
skills?
I The Gift of Understanding - by Mother Nadine
When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, Elizabeth could have sung her praises in
many areas. But it's very interesting that Elizabeth said, "Blestis she who
trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled" (Lk 1: 45). She didn't
say blessedare you because youare the Mother of God; she said blessedare
you because youhave believed. Had Mary not believed, she wouldn't have

become the Mother of God. There wouldn't have been that "yes." The Spirit
was speaking within Elizabeth. The prophet, John the Baptist, leapt in her
womb. Blessedis she because she believed. Blessedmeans to be happy, to be
joyful, and to be blessedby God.
We see Our Lady's tremendous faith all throughout the Gospels. One ofthe
places that we especiallysee herfaith is at the tomb on Eastermorning. One
of the things that St. Ignatius recommended was to meditate on Our Lady on
Eastermorning-because she wasn'tthere at the tomb. I askedOur Lady,
"Where were you? You weren't there." She indicated to me that she wasn't
there because she believed. She didn't have to be there. She knew He wouldn't
be there. She knew that the tomb was empty. She believed Him when He said
He would rise on the third day. So Mary was this woman of greatfaith, and
she so wants to share this great gift of faith with eachof us.
The Holy Spirit Gift of Understanding develops the gift of faith within us. It's
a specialgift that we receivedat Confirmation. It's a gift that helps us to see.
When you say to someone, "Oh, now I understand" what we are really saying
is, "Now, I see. I see whatyou're saying. I see what you mean. I see your
point." This greatgift of understanding is this seeing of the heart and soul.
After the Resurrection, two of the disciples were walking along the road to
Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)and they were pretty dejectedbecause of the
Crucifixion. All of a sudden, this strangerwalks beside them. They didn't
recognize that it was Jesus. He was risen. He was in the Spirit somehow. But
He gave them the gift of understanding. Scripture says that He opened their
minds to all the Scriptures that pertained to Him so that they too could believe
(Lk 24:13-32). This is what happens to us in prayer. He canopen our minds to
this gift so that we, too, can truly believe. Understanding will deepenour faith.

The blind beggarknew he was blind. Sometimes we don't know we're blind.
Sometimes we don't know that we can't see or understand. And so it's goodto
meditate on that particular passagebecauseJesus, who saw the blind man,
didn't reach out and heal him immediately. Instead, Jesus stoppedand said,
"What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mk 10:51) Jesus didn't assume. He
wants it to come from us. So in our prayer, many times He will say, "What is
it? What do you want Me to do for you?" When we're in the presence ofthe
Lord, we take that very seriously. Our requestdoes not become casual, nor
was the request of the beggarcasual. He said, "Lord, I want to see." We want
to see. From time to time we pray, "I want to see this truth. I want to see into
this mystery. I want to see the Father's plan for me that He knows so well."
Remember that beautiful Scripture from Jeremiah? "I know wellthe plans I
have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for your woe!Plans to
give you a future full of hope" (Jer 29: 11). And yet we have to say, "But I
don't know. I need to see." So this beautiful gift of understanding is given so
that we, too, may see and believe.
II The SecondGift of the Holy Spirit: Understanding is the secondgift of the
Holy Spirit. It differs from wisdom in that wisdom is the desire to
contemplate the things of God, while Understanding allows us to "penetrate to
the very core of revealedtruths." This doesn't mean that we can come to
understand, say, the Trinity the way that we might a mathematical equation,
but that we become certainof the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity. Such
certitude moves beyond faith, which "merely assents to what God has
revealed."
Understanding in Practice:Once we become convincedthrough
understanding of the truths of the Faith, we can also draw conclusions from
those truths and arrive at a further understanding of man's relation to God
and his role in the world. Understanding rises above natural reason, which is
concernedonly with the things we can sense in the world around us. Thus,

understanding is both speculative—concernedwith intellectual knowledge—
and practical, because it canhelp us to order the actions of our lives toward
our final end, which is God. Through understanding, we see the world and
our life within it in the largercontext of the eternallaw and the relation of our
souls to God.
Question:Why do we receive the gift of Understanding? Answer: We receive
the gift of Understanding to enable us to know more clearly the mysteries of
faith. This is Question 183 of the Baltimore Catechism.
Meditation —"The Gift of Understanding": Understanding, as a gift of the
Holy Ghost, helps us to graspthe meaning of the truths of our holy religion.
By faith we know them, but by Understanding, we learn to appreciate and
relish them. It enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealedtruths
and through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceasesto be
sterile and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony
to the faith that is in us; we begin to "walk worthy of God in all things
pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge ofGod."
Prayers for Understanding Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten
our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and
may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy Light; and, in the light of
glory, to have a clearvision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.
III Understanding
Understanding is the secondgift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes
have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from
wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God,

understanding allows us to grasp, at leastin a limited way, the very essenceof
the truths of the Catholic Faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude
about our beliefs that moves beyond faith.
All the gifts are connected. Wisdomand understanding are certainly linked.
Does someone youknow seemto have problems? Try being a listener, not
giving advice or trying to help. The gift of understanding helps you to really
hear what another person is saying. Sometimes that's all that is needed.
Kris, was determined not to be confirmed because she was so angry with her
parents. Ron, a group leader at her retreat, just let her talk out the problem.
He never told her what she should do, nor did he agree or disagree with her
about her parents. When Ron paid attention to Kris and listened to her angry
feelings, Kris felt respected. She also heard for herself what she was saying.
She realized it wasn'ther parents who would be hurt by her action. She'd be
shortchanging herself.
Ron expressedthe gift of understanding. He had developedhis God-givengifts
as a listener and he had a real impact on Kris's life. Someone using the gift of
understanding, as Ron did, has other skills as well, like the ability to keepa
confidence and never talk about anything that is shared.
IV UNDERSTANDING
Understanding is a gift "to give a deeper insight and penetration of divine
truths held by faith, not as a transitory enlightenment but as a permanent
intuition." Illuminating the mind to truth, The Holy Spirit aids a person to
grasptruths of faith easilyand intimately, and to penetrate the depths of those

truths. This gift not only assists in penetrating revealedtruths, but also
natural truths in so far as they are related to the supernatural end. The
essentialquality of this gift is a "penetrating intuition" - in a sense, the
moving beyond the surface. This gift, penetrating the truths of faith, operates
in severalways:disclosing the hidden meaning of SacredScripture; revealing
the significance ofsymbols and figures (like St. Paul seeing Christ as
fulfillment of the rock of the Exodus accountthat poured forth waterto
quench the thirst of the Israelites (1 Cor 10:4); showing the hand of God at
work in a person's life, even in the most mysterious or troublesome events
(like suffering); and revealing the spiritual realities that underlie sensible
appearances (like penetrating the mystery of the Lord's sacrifice in the ritual
of the Mass). This gift brings the virtue of faith to perfection. Accordingly, St.
Thomas said, "In this very life, when the eye of the spirit is purified by the gift
of understanding, one can in a certain way see God" (Summa theologiae II-II,
q. 69, a. 2, ad. 3).
Understanding means that one is able to comprehend the actions of God, and
also by extension to comprehend fellow humanity. Understanding does not
mean that one understands God himself, for that is impossible, due to the
limitations of any life form, including humans, to understanding the all
knowingness andthus the perspective of God. But this is why the Bible uses
this phrase: that one is able to understand “the ways of God.”
A way of God is a particular manifestationof his will. Thus the “wayof God”
can be identified and discerned in everything from God’s “decision” to
structure the universe with gaseous and energyfilled bodies calledstars, all
the wayto how Godhad a specific communication with a Prophet in the past.
Eachtime that God creates,allows orwills something to happen, that
provides insight into “His Ways.” The gift of the Holy Spirit, Understanding,
allows the believer who has cultivated the previous, foundational gifts, to
begin to understand God’s ways.

Also, by better understanding God, one better understands God’s creations,
including the mysteries of the human mind and heart, soul and their behavior
(both goodand deplorable, as bad behavior comes from misuse of one of
God’s gifts). When one understands God’s ways as in, for example, better
understanding one of his gifts, one canbetter understand why fellow humans
fall into temptation of misuse of those gifts, and how to remedy that sinful
situation.
Further, when one understands God’s ways, one canbetter understand the
universe, the earth, and the ecosystems uponit, and be a better stewardof the
gifts of creation. When one does not understand God first, such as certain
scientists who are “secular”plus personally unbelieving, they risk
misunderstanding even the factual measurements that they observe of their
studies, for they projectthe way and motivations of humans onto the behavior
of plants and animals, even if they are unaware that they are doing so.
When one has grounded themselves in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as
preparation, and then cultivates receipt of the gift of Understanding, it brings
greatjoy and even the most mysterious and difficult concepts ofthe Almighty
can be comprehended by anyone, regardless ofbackgroundor education.
There is a very subtle but moving example of this in the Gospel, where Jesus is
teaching in the very Temple of Jerusalemitself. The Temple was always busy
and crowded, with holy people, priests and scholars and also many crowds of
the ordinary people who have come to either worship or to learn.
Mark 12:35 And while Jesus was teaching in the temple, he addressedthem,
saying, “How do the Scribes saythat the Christ is the son of David? For David
himself says, by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my
right hand, till I make thy enemies thy footstool.’Davidhimself, therefore,

calls him ‘Lord’; how, then, is he his son?” And the mass of the common
people liked to hear him.
Jesus is here teaching one of the most complicatedof the theologies,whichis
to understand the nature of the Messiahaccording to the mysterious
prophesies of King David. The prophecies were difficult even for the Scribes
to understand, and Jesus “calls themout” on their lack of understanding of
what they themselves preachand teach. In this excerpt from what was the
longerteaching, Mark preserves a real gem, actually two gems. One is that
Jesus, without providing the “answer,”forces the Scribes to see that they
cannot use simplistic assumptions in interpreting and understanding how God
will manifest his will in raising the Messiah. The secondgem is that Mark
records that “the common people liked to hear him” teachthese complicated
theologies in the Temple.
So Jesus demonstrates the gift of the Holy Spirit of Understanding in three
ways here. The first is that he affirms that King David’s capability to
prophesy and the exactspecifics ofwhat he prophesiedwere provided “by the
Holy Spirit.” Jesus thus helps people to understand the reality of the Holy
Spirit by being very clearas to the Holy Spirit’s potency and moments of
intervention. So Jesus provides an example of the gift of Understanding from
the Holy Spirit that occurredin the prior times. Second, Jesus role models for
the Scribes how to manifest genuine gift of Understanding from the Holy
Spirit, as Jesus was doing, rather than false proclamationof Understanding,
as the Scribes were doing. Third, Jesus demonstrates thatthrough receptivity
of the gift of the Holy Spirit of Understanding that the common people of all
types and educationcan and did very much comprehend and appreciate the
implications of the learning, and the love of Understanding of God. Mark
records in this simple sentence that the common people not only “got” the
complicatedteaching of Jesus, but they loved it.

Receiptof the gift of the Holy Spirit of Understanding is properly felt in small
pieces that one at a time just “click” into place. One comprehends one
example of God’s ways or his will, and suddenly “getit” at both an intellectual
and a heartfelt level. The feeling is like, “Ah, so this is ‘why’ God requires
this, or this is ‘how’ God allowedthat to happen.” True Understanding as
given by the Holy Spirit is sometimes as small as appreciating for the first
time the fullness of meaning and implication in severalwords or a phrase in
the Bible, or in prayer, or in something that a saint or prophet of God once
said. Godcannot be understood “holistically” or “as a whole.” Thatis one of
the mistakes of“New Age” and other mushy thinking and philosophy. God
cannot be reduced to a holistic understanding that fits within a human brain,
nor canHE be characterizedby a human at the keyboardor holding a pen.
God can only be comprehended by the gift of Understanding of one small
example of his ways and his will at a time.
This is why the greatJewish, Muslim and Christian holy men and womencan
often meditate upon just one aspectof God, as experienced through a single
line of prayer, a Jew bowing ("divining") at the Wall, calligraphy of the name
of Allah, the writing and contemplation of an icon, or meditations upon the
cross. Theseholy people are studying and comprehending with the mind and
the heart “one way” of God’s will. It is not a self centeredand self denying
pretension, such as “New Age” “meditation.” All true uses of the gift of the
Holy Spirit of Understanding focuses oncomprehending and appreciating
God’s ways and will, not turning “inward” or “outward” in “detachment”
and selfgratifying control over one’s own mind and senses.
Cultivating one’s own “control” overwhatever is hardly the route to the gift
of genuine Understanding, which is only receivedwhen one turns directly
toward God. An analogyis that “New Age” “meditation” is like being a
student in the classroomand cultivating how many ways you canblock out the
sight, sound and words of the teacherand instead, focus only on some trivial

aspectof your own selfand glorify it. That becomes quite a problem when it is
final exam time. One also shortchangesone’s selfon experiencing the genuine
joyousness ofUnderstanding, of comprehending the ways and the Will of God.
Further, such misuse and misunderstanding is obviously detrimental to
understanding one’s fellow creations of God. Humans were made in the image
of God, not in the image of the strongesthuman meditation ‘expert.’
Far from being a barrier or a diversion, fuller use of the gift of Understanding
as given by the Holy Spirit enhances one’s successand insight in even secular
subjects, such as science, mathematics, physics, biologyand human behavior.
Secularists inadvertently close off in their mind considerationof alternative
hypotheses due to their conditioning to be only “factual.” Bytrying too hard
to be “factual” one misses interpretations and facts that are fact based, but
simply would not have occurredto a mind that attempts to be so self focused
and rigid.
Humans are very limited due to the facts of being a physical being with a
given life span. God has no limits. Thus Godcan envision and will scientific
facts and solutions that humans cannot. Thus, one who is rigidly anti-God is
also truncating their mind’s own flexibility, as they unconsciouslyassume that
nothing in science canexistexcept what can be understood by one’s self. This
is an especialdangerand blinders for people who are “high achievers” “atthe
top of their field of study.” They not only unconsciouslyshut out a scientific
fact that seems to “far out” for them to ever have considered, but they
unconsciouslyshut out the voices oftheir colleagues, who are “secondary
talents,” in their minds. When one receives with humility the gift of the Holy
Spirit of Understanding, one enhances, ratherthan reduces, one’s own
understanding of mundane life and the scholarly studies of it.
Understanding combined with Fortitude gives eachhuman the resiliency that
they need to cope with the realities of life. This is something that young people

have been robbed of by their negligent parents, faith instructors, and profane
society. It is no wonder that so many young people cannot cope with any
heartbreak without turning to drugs or guns, or falling into depressionor
other mental disorders and sufferings. Young people used to be very faith and
reality based, and thus grew to be adults that were rocks, were the saltof the
earth. The past generations are filled with young people who were blessed
with Understanding and Fortitude from the youngestages, andthey grew into
the remarkable men and women we both read about in history books, or
never hear about because theywere the quiet folks who kept life and society
going. There is no educationsystem, no pharmaceuticalor street drug, no
science fictionor meditation, and no entertainment that cantake the place of
Understanding and Fortitude. It is not only the salvation of the soul that is at
risk without the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but also the health and sanity of the
individual and societyas a whole.
If one needs air to breathe and in order to continue to live, attending classes
that tell you that you do not need air, taking a drug so you can imagine that
you do not need air and to help you ‘forget’ that you do not have air, reading
a book about ‘aliens’ who do not need air, chanting ‘I am air itself; I do not
need earthly air,’ or playing a video game where you shootpeople who may or
may not need air, none of those will save one’s life and prevent one from dying
a death due to lack of air.
That is why the holy people, and the ordinary people, have greatjoy in
receiving the genuine gift of the Holy Spirit, Understanding, because it is
comprehending reality, not fiction.
Catholic Dictionary
Term
GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING

Definition
The infused gift of the Holy Spirit given to the mind for grasping revealed
truths easily and profoundly. It differs from faith because it gives insight into
the meaning of what a person believes, whereas faith, as such, merely assents
to what God has revealed.
This gift produces three principal effects in those who possessit. They are
enabled to penetrate to the very core of revealedtruths, without ever fully
understanding their meaning; they are confirmed in their belief by acquiring
greatcertitude in the revealedword of God; and they are brought to the
knowledge ofa greaternumber of truths by drawing numerous conclusions
from revealedprinciples.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING.
CONSIDERATION:
Through the gift of understanding the faithful come to have a fuller graspof
the truths of faith, the deeper meaning of the Scriptures, the life of grace, the
presence ofChrist in eachsacramentand in a real substantialway in the
BlessedEucharist.
It gives us, as it were, an instinct for what is supernatural in the world. For
the eyes of one of Christ’s faithful, illumined by the Holy Spirit, there is a
whole new universe to be discovered.
The mysteries of the MostBlessedTrinity, the Incarnation, the Redemption,
and the Church become living realities affecting the day-to-day life of the
Christian.
They have a decisive influence on his work, on his family life and friendships.
Prayer becomes deeperand easier.

The Holy Spirit illumines the mind with a most powerful light and enables us
to see more clearlywhat until then was only dimly seen.
It often happens that we know some mystery for quite a while; we have heard
something and thought about it; but all of a sudden we see it in a new light. It
is as if we had not understood it at all until then (A. Riaud, The Action of the
Holy Spirit in souls, Madrid).
The gift of understanding allows us to contemplate God in the midst of
ordinary matters and events, whether pleasantor sorrowful.
The way to achieve the fulness of this gift is by personalprayer in which we
contemplate the truths of faith; by a joyful, loving struggle to maintain
presence ofGod throughout the day; by fostering acts of contrition whenever
we have cut ourselves off from God.
This gift is not something extraordinary given only to exceptionalpersons. No.
It is given to all those who want to be faithful to God whereverthey find
themselves, sanctifying their joys and sorrows, toils and rest.
SOURCE:ICWG, vol. 2, n. 87
PRAYER:
“Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, help me to listen to and follow all your teaching,
and to he faithful to all your inspirations and promptings.
Spirit of Life, strength and light, be my power and my life. You speak to me in
silence. Make me be recollected. You descendinto humble souls. Give me the
Christian spirit of humility. Teachme to live animated by your love; teach me
to spread love all around me. (A. Riaud, The Holy Spirit Acting in Our
Souls).”
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Homily: Understanding is a Gift
by SMSH | May 13, 2018 | Gifts of the Holy Spirit Homilies, Homilies, Pastor's
Message| 0 comments
Today we celebrate Jesus Ascending into Heaven. In the AscensionJesus
continues the healing betweenHeaven and Earth, betweenGod and man. He
promises the Gift of the Holy Spirit, so that this healing connectionwill
continue throughout the ages, throughthe Church and the Sacraments. From
the beginning of creationGod has been entering into the life of mankind over
and over againto sealthe rift causedby man’s sin. He wants to draw us to,
and be united to the Divine. The Son of God enters into creationto heal
man’s brokenness to make us presentable to the Father. He enters even
deeper into our mortality through his death and descentunto the dead. He
rises and Ascends into heavento unite us completely with the Father. In this
He sits at the Father’s right hand and continues to intercede for us. He enters
into our lives again through the Holy Spirit to make the final and everlasting
connectionto unite us to the Divine. With the day of Pentecost, through the
Holy Spirit, the Church is born. In the Spirit’s outpouring of graceswe now
have that constantconnectionto the Trinity through the Sacraments. Jesus’
promise of the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds and bodies to know
love and serve the Father. One of the gifts of the Spirit is the gift of
UNDERSTANDING.
Understanding is a gift “to give a deeper insight and penetration of divine
truths held by faith.” The Holy Spirit aids a person to graspthe truths of
faith easilyand to penetrate the depths of those truths, allowing one to enter a
divine intimacy with the Lord.

The essentialquality of this gift is a “penetrating intuition” -to move one
beyond the surface. This gift operates in severalways:
First, it disclosesthe hidden meaning of sacredScripture, as Our Lord did
with the disciples on the wayto Emmaus (Lk 24:13ff);
Second, it reveals the significance ofsymbols and figures, like St. Paul seeing
Christ as the PassoverLamb (Hebrews)
Third, it shows the hand of God at work in a person’s life, even in the most
mysterious or troublesome events, like suffering;
Fourth, it reveals the spiritual realities that underlie sensible appearances,
like penetrating the mystery of the Lord’s sacrifice in the offering of the Mass
or recognizing the presence ofChrist in the holy Eucharist.
This gift also assistsus in understanding natural truths and the use of created
things but through a lens of faith. While enjoying createdthings, a person
understands that all createdthings attestto the majesty of the Creator. Tied
to the gift of Knowledge, the Spirit’s gift of Understanding helps us to use
wiselythese createdthings with a sense ofdetachment. Therefore, creation
does not become an end in itself, or createdthings idols, but one understands
they are gifts from Almighty God. Understanding moves a personalways to
be mindful to place God first in life, to be generous in helping others in need,
and to rejectwhat is useless. For example, some individuals may spend much
time, even hours, on Facebook ortexting, but neglectdaily prayer. Do they
not understand the fleeting satisfactionthey crave will not gain for them the
sustaining friendship with Our Lord and ultimately eternallife?
POPE FRANCIS teachesus from his WednesdayAudience:
“Understanding is not a question of human intelligence. It is a grace that only
the Holy Spirit can infuse and which awakens in the Christian the ability to go
beyond the outward appearance of reality and scrutinize the depths of God’s
thoughts and His plan of salvation.
Understanding allows us to “readinto”: and understand things as God
understands, with the intelligence of God.

The gift of understanding is closelyrelatedto faith. When the Holy Spirit
dwells in our hearts and enlightens our minds, it makes us grow day by day in
the understanding of what the Lord has said and done. Jesus himself said to
his disciples:I will send the Holy Spirit and he will make you understand all
that I have taught you: Understanding the teachings ofJesus, understanding
His Word, understanding the Gospel, understanding God’s Word. One can
read the Gospeland understand something, but if we read the Gospelwith
this gift of the Holy Spirit we can understand the depth of God’s words. This
is a greatgift, a gift for which we must all ask.
After witnessing Christ’s death on the cross and his burial, two of his disciples
are disappointed and heartbroken. They leave Jerusalemand return to their
village calledEmmaus. While they are on the road, the Risen Jesus joins
them and starts talking with them, but their eyes, veiled with sadness and
despair, are unable to recognize him. When the Lord explained the
Scriptures to them, so that they would understand that He had to suffer and
die and then rise again. Their minds were opened and hope was rekindled in
their hearts (cf. Lk 24.13 to 27).
We, too, oppressedby the weight of life and of our limitations, are unable to
recognize the Lord beside us by ourselves. When, however, we welcome the
Holy Spirit into our hearts, everything acquires a new light and tells us about
God and His love. This is what the Holy Spirit does for us: it opens our
minds, opens us to better understand, to better understand the things of God,
human things, situations, all things. It is such an important gift for our
Christian life.”
The Gift of Understanding from the Spirit of the Lord- Isaiah11:2-3
Understanding-(n)1.mental process ofa person who comprehends;
comprehension;personalinterpretation: 2. intellectual faculties;intelligence;
mind:

After reading the definition of understanding, right away, I knew where this
post was going. We are a planet filled with anxiety. Anxiety is a mind issue;a
mental process,right? Understanding is a thing of the mind. Oh, but wait,
what does the bible tell us about it? Per the bible, wisdom and understanding
go heart in heart and mind in heart. The Spirit of God is telling me that it is
spiritual. Other informational items will tell us that understanding is purely
psychological.
Wiki Moment Understanding (also called intellection) is a psychological
process relatedto an abstractor physical object, such as a person, situation,
or message wherebyone is able to think about it and use concepts to deal
adequately with that object. Understanding is a relation betweenthe knower
and an object of understanding. Understanding implies abilities and
dispositions with respectto an object of knowledge sufficientto support
intelligent behavior.[1]An understanding is the limit of a conceptualization.
To understand something is to have conceptualizedit to a given measure. Ex.-
2.A psychiatrist understands another person’s anxieties if he/she knows that
person’s anxieties, their causes, andcan give useful advice on how to cope
with the anxiety.
Note to self… A psychiatrist “cangive useful advice on how to cope…” not
heal.
One reasonthat people are reacting to one another out of fear is due to
psychologicalmisunderstandings. It is sound to believe that ANXIETY is
running this world amuck, we are coping, i.e. getting by. Even a few patients
do not discuss their deepestangstwith their psychiatrist/physician because
some patients believe no one understands exactly what they are feeling, nor
knows what the patient really thinks. But then, there is God who knows and
understands all. For he said “I the Lord searchthe heart, I try the reins, (Jer.
17:10)“…and for the Lord searchethall hearts, and understandeth all the
imaginations of the thoughts…” (1 Chr. 28:9) Therefore, it is the Spirit of the
Lord that gives us complete understanding to do, not just useful advice on
how to cope.

The human race is a very anxious race. We think we understand, but we
really don’t because ofmind issues. Whatwe need to grasphere is that our
personalinterpretation means nothing to God. The Holy Spirit is our
Interpreter, our Translator, our Linguist – do you getit? Whose
interpretation of our mind and heart is important for us to receive the gift of
understanding?
I don’t believe that the bible ever teaches us to just cope without
understanding. There is only ONE Psychiatrist/Physicianthat can give us the
gift of understanding period. Paul said “Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7) I am
guilty of not heeding this advice during many situations and have been broken
down. Have you been guilty and broken down? Even as Christians we can be
stubborn as all get-out. It has a lot to do with what and why we think the way
we do…it’s a symptom of an anxious mind and an absence ofthe Holy Spirit
working within us.
An anxious mind with the wrong mindset cancause us to experience
independence from the Spirit of the Lord. Guilty as charged. Before the Spirit
of the Lord appeared, Paul had the wrong mindset at one time in his life. God
had to break him down and take awayhis physical and psychologicalsight
and give him spiritual sight into understanding the mindset of the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (TYHS)
A Key– It occurred to me that animals possessanunderstanding of survival. I
was reading my Animal Encyclopedia to learn about various habits. Let me
tell you about the dik-dik animal. It is a small species ofthe antelope living in
many parts of Africa. Their name comes from the sound the
female(wisdom…ha ha) makes when alarmed. Needless to say, hunters dislike
them because oftheir ability to alert other animals of a hunter’s presence.
They live to see anotherday.
A Key Point– Using the gift of understanding is a survival skill. When the gift
is resting upon us from the Spirit of the Lord, we would be able to alert others

of the presence of hunters that want to prey on us; hunters that want to
separate us from the love and understanding of God. It is biblically clearthat
when one receives the gift of understanding, it is then that one is drawn closer
to God. One canbecome clearof self and understand what God’s will is to live
eternally in His kingdom.(TYHS)
Now, let me quiet selfand share with you a few verses with thoughts about the
gift of understanding. The 1 Corinthians verse below is used to focus on
understanding period, not understanding the gift of speaking in tongues.
Proverbs 8:1 – Understanding raises wisdom’s voice. Understanding is her
helper.
Job 28:28 – Knowing how to shun evil is a gift of understanding from the
Lord’s Spirit.
Ephesians 4:17-19 – When we live with the futility of our thinking, we are
darkenedin our understanding. Misunderstanding occurs due to the hardness
of our hearts.
1 Corinthians 14:11-17 – The gift of understanding is not just for your benefit.
It is to be used to build up the body of believers.
1 Samuel 8:10 – We need to experience whatHannah experienced until our
heart and mind is just opened to God only. We must become broken to receive
the gift of understanding. https://talkativeangel.wordpress.com/
UNDERSTANDING - Excerpts from Regina Coeliby John Paul II on Sunday
April 16, 1989
We know very well that faith is adherence to God in the chiaroscuro of
mystery; but it is also searchin the desire to know the revealedtruth more
and better . Now, such an interior urge comes to us from the Holy Spirit who,
with faith, gives us preciselythis specialgift of intelligence and, as it were,
intuition of the divine truth.

The word "intellect" derives from the Latin "intus legere",which means "to
read within", to penetrate, to understand thoroughly. Through this gift the
Holy Spirit who "sees into the depths of God" (1 Cor 2:10), communicates to
the believera glint of such a penetrating capacity, opening the heart to the
joyous understanding of God's loving plan. Once again the experience of the
disciples of Emmaus is renewed;having recognizedthe RisenLord in the
breaking of the bread, they said to one another: "Were not our hearts
burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures
to us? (Lk 24:32).
This supernatural intelligence is given not only to individuals, but also to the
community: to pastors who, as successors ofthe Apostles, are heirs to the
specific promise made to them by Christ (cf. Jn 14:26;16:13), and to the
faithful who, thanks to the "anointing" of the Spirit (cf. 1 Jn 2:20 and 27),
possessa special"senseofthe faith'' (sensus fidei) which guides them in their
concrete choices.
The light of the Spirit, in fact, while it sharpens the understanding of divine
things, renders ever more clearand penetrating the understanding of human
things. Thanks to it one sees betterthe many signs of God which are written in
creation. Thus is discoveredthe not merely earthly dimension of events of
which human history is woven. One can even arrive at prophetically
interpreting the presentand the future: signs of the times, signs of God!
3. Dearfaithful, let us turn to the Holy Spirit with the words of the Liturgy:
"Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestialhome shed a ray of light
divine!" (Sequence of Pentecost).
Let us invoke him through the intercessionofMary Most Holy, the listening
Virgin who, in the light of the Spirit, was able to read tirelesslythe: deep
meaning of the mysteries which the Almighty workedin her (cf. Lk 2:19 and
51). The contemplation of the wonders of God will also be for us the source of
inexhaustible joy: "My soul glorifies :he Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God
my saviour" (Lk 1:46 f.). www.faithleap.org/

Understanding:
The gift of the Spirit that enlightens our minds and hearts with divine truth so
that we can graspthe mysteries of the Lord. Understanding enables us to see
the Lord more deeply; Wisdom shows us what He wants us to do. We need
Wisdom with its judgements so that understanding can go beyond itself and
its insights and bear fruit in action. Col. 1:9-11. Eph. 1:9-10
Understanding draws us closerto God and this is a process ofseeing our
sinfulness, and trying to purify ourselves of sin. This is a time of becoming
aware of even the smallestsin in our life and seeing how offensive it is to God.
As we draw closerto God, our prayer life will take on a new dimension. We
will move beyond vocalprayer and enter into a deeper quieter prayer with
our Lord. There will be times when we just sit with the Lord and It will seem
as though nothing is happening. Prayer is happening and if we do not have
understanding we will run from this. Quiet prayer without understanding is
very hard to attain. With understanding we canenter quiet prayer knowing
we can come before God empty, letting Him fill us.
This gift helps us see that we are on a spiritual journey, a journey in which we
are always growing and will often have growing pains. Understanding helps
us not to run from growing pains but to embrace them, because it brings us
into a deeperrelationship with our Beloved.
catholic-church.org/
The Gift of Understanding from the Spirit of the Lord- Isaiah11:2-3
Understanding-(n)1.mental process ofa person who comprehends;
comprehension;personalinterpretation: 2. intellectual faculties;intelligence;
mind:

of the presence of hunters that want to prey on us; hunters that want to
separate us from the love and understanding of God. It is biblically clearthat
when one receives the gift of understanding, it is then that one is drawn closer
to God. One canbecome clearof self and understand what God’s will is to live
eternally in His kingdom.(TYHS)
Now, let me quiet selfand share with you a few verses with thoughts about the
gift of understanding. The 1 Corinthians verse below is used to focus on
understanding period, not understanding the gift of speaking in tongues.
Proverbs 8:1 – Understanding raises wisdom’s voice. Understanding is her
helper.
Job 28:28 – Knowing how to shun evil is a gift of understanding from the
Lord’s Spirit.
Ephesians 4:17-19 – When we live with the futility of our thinking, we are
darkenedin our understanding. Misunderstanding occurs due to the hardness
of our hearts.
1 Corinthians 14:11-17 – The gift of understanding is not just for your benefit.
It is to be used to build up the body of believers.
1 Samuel 8:10 – We need to experience whatHannah experienced until our
heart and mind is just opened to God only. We must become broken to receive
the gift of understanding. https://talkativeangel.wordpress.com/
Question8. The gift of understanding
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Is understanding a gift of the Holy Ghost?
Can it be togetherwith faith in the same person?

Is the understanding which is a gift of the Holy Ghost, only speculative, or
practicalalso?
Do all who are in a state of grace have the gift of understanding?
Is this gift to be found in those who are without grace?
The relationship of the gift of understanding to the other gifts
Which of the beatitudes corresponds to this gift?
Which of the fruits?
Article 1. Whether understanding is a gift of the Holy Ghost?
Objection 1. It would seemthat understanding is not a gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the gifts of grace are distinct from the gifts of nature, since they are given
in addition to the latter. Now understanding is a natural habit of the soul,
whereby self-evident principles are known, as statedin Ethic. vi, 6. Therefore
it should not be reckonedamong the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Objection 2. Further, the Divine gifts are shared by creatures according to
their capacityand mode, as Dionysius states (Div. Nom. iv). Now the mode of
human nature is to know the truth, not simply (which is a sign of
understanding), but discursively (which is a sign of reason), as Dionysius
explains (Div. Nom. vii). Therefore the Divine knowledge whichis bestowed
on man, should be calleda gift of reasonrather than a gift of understanding.
Objection 3. Further, in the powers of the soul the understanding is
condivided with the will (De Anima iii, 9,10). Now no gift of the Holy Ghost is
calledafter the will. Therefore no gift of the Holy Ghostshould receive the
name of understanding.
On the contrary, It is written (Isaiah 11:2): "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him, the Spirit of wisdom of understanding."
I answerthat, Understanding implies an intimate knowledge, for"intelligere"
[to understand] is the same as "intus legere" [to read inwardly]. This is clear

to anyone who considers the difference betweenintellect and sense, because
sensitive knowledge is concernedwith external sensible qualities, whereas
intellective knowledge penetratesinto the very essence ofa thing, because the
objectof the intellect is "what a thing is," as stated in De Anima iii, 6.
Now there are many kinds of things that are hidden within, to find which
human knowledge has to penetrate within so to speak. Thus, under the
accidents lies hidden the nature of the substantialreality, under words lies
hidden their meaning; under likenessesand figures the truth they denote lies
hidden (because the intelligible world is enclosedwithin as compared with the
sensible world, which is perceived externally), and effects lie hidden in their
causes, andvice versa. Hence we may speak of understanding with regardto
all these things.
Since, however, human knowledge begins with the outside of things as it were,
it is evident that the strongerthe light of the understanding, the further canit
penetrate into the heart of things. Now the natural light of our understanding
is of finite power;wherefore it canreach to a certain fixed point.
Consequently man needs a supernatural light in order to penetrate further
still so as to know what it cannot know by its natural light: and this
supernatural light which is bestowedon man is calledthe gift of
understanding.
Reply to Objection1. The natural light instilled within us, manifests only
certain generalprinciples, which are knownnaturally. But since man is
ordained to supernatural happiness, as stated above (II-II:2:3; I-II:3:8), man
needs to reachto certain higher truths, for which he requires the gift of
understanding.
Reply to Objection2. The discourse ofreasonalways begins from an
understanding and ends at an understanding; because we reasonby
proceeding from certain understood principles, and the discourse of reasonis
perfectedwhen we come to understand what hitherto we ignored. Hence the
act of reasoning proceeds from something previously understood. Now a gift
of grace does not proceedfrom the light of nature, but is added thereto as
perfecting it. Wherefore this addition is not called"reason" but

"understanding," since the additional light is in comparisonwith what we
know supernaturally, what the natural light is in regardto those things which
we known from the first.
Reply to Objection3. "Will" denotes simply a movement of the appetite
without indicating any excellence;whereas "understanding" denotes a certain
excellence ofa knowledge thatpenetrates into the heart of things. Hence the
supernatural gift is called after the understanding rather than after the will.
Article 2. Whether the gift of understanding is compatible with faith?
Objection 1. It would seemthat the gift of understanding is incompatible with
faith. ForAugustine says (QQ. lxxxiii, qu. 15)that "the thing which is
understood is bounded by the comprehensionof him who understands it." But
the thing which is believed is not comprehended, according to the word of the
Apostle to the Philippians (3:12): "Notas though I had already comprehended
[Douay: 'attained'], or were alreadyperfect." Therefore it seems that faith
and understanding are incompatible in the same subject.
Objection 2. Further, whateveris understood is seenby the understanding.
But faith is of things that appear not, as statedabove (II-II:1:4; II-II:4:1).
Therefore faith is incompatible with understanding in the same subject.
Objection 3. Further, understanding is more certain than science.But science
and faith are incompatible in the same subject, as stated above (II-II:1:4-5).
Much less, therefore, canunderstanding and faith be in the same subject.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. i, 15)that "understanding enlightens
the mind concerning the things it has heard." Now one who has faith can be
enlightened in his mind concerning what he has heard; thus it is written (Luke
24:27-32)that Our Lord opened the scriptures to His disciples, that they
might understand them. Therefore understanding is compatible with faith.
I answerthat, We need to make a twofold distinction here: one on the side of
faith, the other on the part of understanding.
On the side of faith the distinction to be made is that certain things, of
themselves, come directly under faith, such as the mystery to three Persons in

one God, and the incarnation of God the Son; whereas other things come
under faith, through being subordinate, in one way or another, to those just
mentioned, for instance, all that is containedin the Divine Scriptures.
On the part of understanding the distinction to be observedis that there are
two ways in which we may be said to understand. On one way, we understand
a thing perfectly, when we arrive at knowing the essenceofthe thing we
understand, and the very truth consideredin itself of the proposition
understood. On this way, so long as the state of faith lasts, we cannot
understand those things which are the direct objectof faith: although certain
other things that are subordinate to faith can be understood even in this way.
In another way we understand a thing imperfectly, when the essenceofa
thing or the truth of a proposition is not known as to its quiddity or mode of
being, and yet we know that whateverbe the outward appearances,they do
not contradictthe truth, in so far as we understand that we ought not to
depart from matters of faith, for the sake of things that appear externally. On
this way, even during the state of faith, nothing hinders us from
understanding even those things which are the direct object of faith.
This suffices for the Replies to the Objections:for the first three argue in
reference to perfectunderstanding, while the lastrefers to the understanding
of matters subordinate to faith.
Article 3. Whether the gift of understanding is merely speculative or also
practical?
Objection 1. It would seemthat understanding, consideredas a gift of the
Holy Ghost, is not practical, but only speculative. For, according to Gregory
(Moral. i, 32), "understanding penetrates certain more exalted things." But
the practicalintellect is occupied, not with exalted, but with inferior things,
viz. singulars, about which actions are concerned. Therefore understanding,
consideredas a gift, is not practical.
Objection 2. Further, the gift of understanding is something more excellent
than the intellectualvirtue of understanding. But the intellectual virtue of
understanding is concernedwith none but necessarythings, according to the

Philosopher(Ethic. vi, 6). Much more, therefore, is the gift of understanding
concernedwith none but necessarymatters. Now the practicalintellect is not
about necessarythings, but about things which may be otherwise than they
are, and which may result from man's activity. Therefore the gift of
understanding is not practical.
Objection 3. Further, the gift of understanding enlightens the mind in matters
which surpass natural reason. Now human activities, with which the practical
intellect is concerned, do not surpass natural reason, which is the directing
principle in matters of action, as was made clearabove (I-II:58:2; I-II:71:6).
Therefore the gift of understanding is not practical.
On the contrary, It is written (Psalm 110:10):"A goodunderstanding to all
that do it."
I answerthat, As statedabove (Article 2), the gift of understanding is not only
about those things which come under faith first and principally, but also
about all things subordinate to faith. Now goodactions have a certain
relationship to faith: since "faith workeththrough charity," according to the
Apostle (Galatians 5:6). Hence the gift of understanding extends also to
certain actions, not as though these were its principal object, but in so far as
the rule of our actions is the eternallaw, to which the higher reason, which is
perfectedby the gift of understanding, adheres by contemplating and
consulting it, as Augustine states (De Trin. xii, 7).
Reply to Objection1. The things with which human actions are concernedare
not surpassinglyexalted consideredin themselves, but, as referred to the rule
of the eternallaw, and to the end of Divine happiness, they are exaltedso that
they can be the matter of understanding.
Reply to Objection2. The excellenceofthe gift of understanding consists
preciselyin its considering eternalor necessarymatters, not only as they are
rules of human actions, because a cognitive virtue is the more excellent,
according to the greaterextent of its object.
Reply to Objection3. The rule of human actions is the human reasonand the
eternal law, as stated above (I-II:71:6). Now the eternal law surpasses human

reason:so that the knowledge ofhuman actions, as ruled by the eternal law,
surpasses the natural reason, and requires the supernatural light of a gift of
the Holy Ghost.
Article 4. Whether the gift of understanding is in all who are in a state of
grace?
Objection 1. It would seemthat the gift of understanding is not in all who are
in a state of grace. ForGregorysays (Moral. ii, 49) that "the gift of
understanding is given as a remedy againstdulness of mind." Now many who
are in a state of grace suffer from dulness of mind. Therefore the gift of
understanding is not in all who are in a state of grace.
Objection 2. Further, of all the things that are connectedwith knowledge,
faith alone seems to be necessaryfor salvation, since by faith Christ dwells in
our hearts, according to Ephesians 3:17. Now the gift of understanding is not
in everyone that has faith; indeed, those who have faith ought to pray that
they may understand, as Augustine says (De Trin. xv, 27). Therefore the gift
of understanding is not necessaryfor salvation:and, consequently, is not in all
who are in a state of grace.
Objection 3. Further, those things which are common to all who are in a state
of grace, are never withdrawn from them. Now the grace of understanding
and of the other gifts sometimes withdraws itself profitably, for, at times,
"when the mind is puffed up with understanding sublime things, it becomes
sluggishand dull in base and vile things," as Gregoryobserves (Moral. ii, 49).
Therefore the gift of understanding is not in all who are in a state of grace.
On the contrary, It is written (Psalm 81:5): "Theyhave not known or
understood, they walk on in darkness." Butno one who is in a state of grace
walks in darkness, according to John 8:12: "He that followeth Me, walketh
not in darkness." Therefore no one who is in a state of grace is without the gift
of understanding.
I answerthat, In all who are in a state of grace, there must needs be rectitude
of the will, since grace prepares man's will for good, according to Augustine
(Contra Julian. Pelag. iv, 3). Now the will cannot be rightly directed to good,

unless there be already some knowledge ofthe truth, since the objectof the
will is goodunderstood, as statedin De Anima iii, 7. Again, just as the Holy
Ghostdirects man's will by the gift of charity, so as to move it directly to some
supernatural good; so also, by the gift of understanding, He enlightens the
human mind, so that it knows some supernatural truth, to which the right will
needs to tend.
Therefore, just as the gift of charity is in all of those who have sanctifying
grace, so also is the gift of understanding.
Reply to Objection1. Some who have sanctifying grace may suffer dulness of
mind with regard to things that are not necessaryforsalvation; but with
regard to those that are necessaryforsalvation, they are sufficiently
instructed by the Holy Ghost, according to 1 John 2:27: "His unction teacheth
you of all things."
Reply to Objection2. Although not all who have faith understand fully the
things that are proposedto be believed, yet they understand that they ought to
believe them, and that they ought nowise to deviate from them.
Reply to Objection3. With regard to things necessaryfor salvation, the gift of
understanding never withdraws from holy persons:but, in order that they
may have no incentive to pride, it does withdraw sometimes with regardto
other things, so that their mind is unable to penetrate all things clearly.
Article 5. Whether the gift of understanding is found also in those who have
not sanctifying grace?
Objection 1. It would seemthat the gift of understanding is found also in those
who have not sanctifying grace. ForAugustine, in expounding the words of
Psalm118:20:"My soul hath covetedto long for Thy justifications," says:
"Understanding flies ahead, and man's will is weak and slow to follow." But
in all who have sanctifying grace, the will is prompt on accountof charity.
Therefore the gift of understanding can be in those who have not sanctifying
grace.
Objection 2. Further, it is written (Daniel 10:1) that "there is need of
understanding in a" prophetic "vision," so that, seemingly, there is no

prophecy without the gift of understanding. But there can be prophecy
without sanctifying grace, as evidencedby Matthew 7:22, where those who
say: "We have prophesied in Thy name [Vulgate: 'Have we not prophesied in
Thy name?]," are answeredwith the words: "I never knew you." Therefore
the gift of understanding can be without sanctifying grace.
Objection 3. Further, the gift of understanding responds to the virtue of faith,
according to Isaiah7:9, following another reading [the Septuagint]: "If you
will not believe you shall not understand." Now faith can be without
sanctifying grace. Therefore the gift of understanding canbe without it.
On the contrary, Our Lord said (John 6:45): "Everyone that hath heard of
the Father, and hath learned, cometh to Me." Now it is by the intellect, as
Gregoryobserves (Moral. i, 32), that we learn or understand what we hear.
Therefore whoeverhas the gift of understanding, cometh to Christ, which is
impossible without sanctifying grace. Therefore the gift of understanding
cannot be without sanctifying grace.
I answerthat, As statedabove (I-II:68:1; I-II:68:2) the gifts of the Holy Ghost
perfect the soul, according as it is amenable to the motion of the Holy Ghost.
Accordingly then, the intellectual light of grace is calledthe gift of
understanding, in so far as man's understanding is easily moved by the Holy
Ghost, the considerationofwhich movement depends on a true apprehension
of the end. Wherefore unless the human intellect be moved by the Holy Ghost
so far as to have a right estimate of the end, it has not yet obtained the gift of
understanding, howevermuch the Holy Ghostmay have enlightened it in
regard to other truths that are preambles to the faith.
Now to have a right estimate about the last end one must not be in error about
the end, and must adhere to it firmly as to the greatestgood:and no one can
do this without sanctifying grace;even as in moral matters a man has a right
estimate about the end through a habit of virtue. Therefore no one has the gift
of understanding without sanctifying grace.
Reply to Objection1. By understanding Augustine means any kind of
intellectual light, that, however, does not fulfil all the conditions of a gift,

unless the mind of man be so far perfectedas to have a right estimate about
the end.
Reply to Objection2. The understanding that is requisite for prophecy, is a
kind of enlightenment of the mind with regard to the things revealedto the
prophet: but it is not an enlightenment of the mind with regardto a right
estimate about the last end, which belongs to the gift of understanding.
Reply to Objection3. Faith implies merely assentto what is proposed but
understanding implies a certainperception of the truth, which perception,
exceptin one who has sanctifying grace, cannotregardthe end, as stated
above. Hence the comparisonfails betweenunderstanding and faith.
Article 6. Whether the gift of understanding is distinct from the other gifts?
Objection 1. It would seemthat the gift of understanding is not distinct from
the other gifts. For there is no distinction betweenthings whose opposites are
not distinct. Now "wisdomis contrary to folly, understanding is contrary to
dulness, counselis contrary to rashness, knowledge is contrary to ignorance,"
as Gregorystates (Moral. ii, 49).
But there would seemto be no difference betweenfolly, dulness, ignorance
and rashness. Thereforeneither does understanding differ from the other
gifts.
Objection 2. Further, the intellectual virtue of understanding differs from the
other intellectual virtues in that it is proper to it to be about self-evident
principles. But the gift of understanding is not about any self-evident
principles, since the natural habit of first principles suffices in respectofthose
matters which are naturally self-evident: while faith is sufficient in respectof
such things as are supernatural, since the articles of faith are like first
principles in supernatural knowledge, as statedabove (II-II:1:7). Therefore
the gift of understanding does not differ from the other intellectual gifts.
Objection 3. Further, all intellectual knowledge is either speculative or
practical. Now the gift of understanding is related to both, as stated above
(Article 3). Therefore it is not distinct from the other intellectual gifts, but
comprises them all.

On the contrary, When severalthings are enumerated togetherthey must be,
in some way, distinct from one another, because distinction is the origin of
number. Now the gift of understanding is enumerated togetherwith the other
gifts, as appears from Isaiah11:2. Therefore the gift of understanding is
distinct from the other gifts.
I answerthat, The difference betweenthe gift of understanding and three of
the others, viz. piety, fortitude, and fear, is evident, since the gift of
understanding belongs to the cognitive power, while the three belong to the
appetitive power.
But the difference betweenthis gift of understanding and the remaining three,
viz. wisdom, knowledge,and counsel, which also belong to the cognitive
power, is not so evident. To some [William of Auxerre, Sum. Aur. III, iii, 8, it
seems that the gift of understanding differs from the gifts of knowledge and
counsel, in that these two belong to practicalknowledge, while the gift of
understanding belongs to speculative knowledge;and that it differs from the
gift of wisdom, which also belongs to speculative knowledge,in that wisdom is
concernedwith judgment, while understanding renders the mind apt to grasp
the things that are proposed, and to penetrate into their very heart. And in
this sense we have assignedthe number of the gifts, above (I-II:68:4).
But if we considerthe matter carefully, the gift of understanding is concerned
not only with speculative, but also with practical matters, as stated above
(Article 3), and likewise,the gift of knowledge regards bothmatters, as we
shall show further on (II-II:9:3), and consequently, we must take their
distinction in some other way. Forall these four gifts are ordained to
supernatural knowledge, which, in us, takes its foundation from faith. Now
"faith is through hearing" (Romans 10:17). Hence some things must be
proposedto be believed by man, not as seen, but as heard, to which he assents
by faith. But faith, first and principally, is about the First Truth, secondarily,
about certain considerations concerning creatures, andfurthermore extends
to the direction of human actions, in so far as it works through charity, as
appears from what has been said above (II-II:4:2 ad 3).

Accordingly on the part of the things proposed to faith for belief, two things
are requisite on our part: first that they be penetrated or graspedby the
intellect, and this belongs to the gift of understanding. Secondly, it is necessary
that man should judge these things aright, that he should esteemthat he ought
to adhere to these things, and to withdraw from their opposites:and this
judgment, with regard to Divine things belong to the gift of wisdom, but with
regard to createdthings, belongs to the gift of knowledge, andas to its
application to individual actions, belongs to the gift of counsel.
Reply to Objection1. The foregoing difference betweenthose four gifts is
clearly in agreementwith the distinction of those things which Gregory
assigns as their opposites. Fordulness is contrary to sharpness, since an
intellect is said, by comparison, to be sharp, when it is able to penetrate into
the heart of the things that are proposed to it. Hence it is dulness of mind that
renders the mind unable to pierce into the heart of a thing. A man is said to be
a fool if he judges wrongly about the common end of life, wherefore folly is
properly opposedto wisdom, which makes us judge aright about the universal
cause. Ignorance implies a defect in the mind, even about any particular
things whatever, so that it is contrary to knowledge, whichgives man a right
judgment about particular causes, viz. about creatures. Rashness is clearly
opposedto counsel, whereby man does not proceedto actionbefore
deliberating with his reason.
Reply to Objection2. The gift of understanding is about the first principles of
that knowledge whichis conferred by grace;but otherwise than faith, because
it belongs to faith to assentto them, while it belongs to the gift of
understanding to pierce with the mind the things that are said.
Reply to Objection3. The gift of understanding is related to both kinds of
knowledge, viz. speculative and practical, not as to the judgment, but as to
apprehension, by grasping what is said.
Article 7. Whether the sixth beatitude, "Blessedare the cleanof heart," etc.,
responds to the gift of understanding?
Objection 1. It would seemthat the sixth beatitude, "Blessedare the cleanof
heart, for they shall see God," does not respond to the gift of understanding.

Becausecleanness ofheart seems to belong chiefly to the appetite. But the gift
of understanding belongs, not to the appetite, but rather to the intellectual
power. Therefore the aforesaidbeatitude does not respond to the gift of
understanding.
Objection 2. Further, it is written (Acts 15:9): "Purifying their hearts by
faith." Now cleanness ofheart is acquired by the heart being purified.
Therefore the aforesaidbeatitude is related to the virtue of faith rather than
to the gift of understanding.
Objection 3. Further, the gifts of the Holy Ghost perfectman in the present
state of life. But the sight of God does not belong to the present life, since it is
that which gives happiness to the Blessed, as statedabove (I-II:3:8). Therefore
the sixth beatitude which comprises the sight of God, does not respond to the
gift of understanding.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4): "The sixth
work of the Holy Ghostwhich is understanding, is applicable to the cleanof
heart, whose eye being purified, they cansee what eye hath not seen."
I answerthat, Two things are contained in the sixth beatitude, as also in the
others, one by way of merit, viz. cleanness ofheart; the other by way of
reward, viz. the sight of God, as stated above (I-II:69:2; I-II:69:4), and eachof
these, in some way, responds to the gift of understanding.
For cleannessis twofold. One is a preamble and a disposition to seeing God,
and consists in the heart being cleansedofinordinate affections:and this
cleanness ofheart is effectedby the virtues and gifts belonging to the
appetitive power. The other cleannessofheart is a kind of complement to the
sight of God; such is the cleanness ofthe mind that is purged of phantasms
and errors, so as to receive the truths which are proposed to it about God, no
longerby way of corporealphantasms, nor infectedwith heretical
misrepresentations:and this cleanness is the result of the gift of
understanding.
Again, the sight of God is twofold. One is perfect, whereby God's Essence is
seen:the other is imperfect, whereby, though we see not what God is, yet we

see what He is not; and whereby, the more perfectly do we know God in this
life, the more we understand that He surpassesall that the mind
comprehends. Eachof these visions of Godbelongs to the gift of
understanding; the first, to the gift of understanding in its state of perfection,
as possessedin heaven; the second, to the gift of understanding in its state of
inchoation, as possessedby wayfarers.
This suffices for the Replies to the Objections:for the first two arguments
refer to the first kind of cleanness;while the third refers to the perfectvision
of God. Moreoverthe gifts both perfectus in this life by wayof inchoation,
and will be fulfilled, as statedabove (I-II:69:2).
Article 8. Whether faith, among the fruits, responds to the gift of
understanding?
Objection 1. It would seemthat, among the fruits, faith does not respond to
the gift of understanding. For understanding is the fruit of faith, since it is
written (Isaiah7:9) according to another reading [the Septuagint]: "If you
will not believe you shall not understand," where our version has: "If you will
not believe, you shall not continue." Therefore fruit is not the fruit of
understanding.
Objection 2. Further, that which precedes is not the fruit of what follows.
But faith seems to precede understanding, since it is the foundation of the
entire spiritual edifice, as statedabove (II-II:4:7). Therefore faith is not the
fruit of understanding.
Objection 3. Further, more gifts pertain to the intellect than to the appetite.
Now, among the fruits, only one pertains to the intellect; namely, faith, while
all the others pertain to the appetite. Therefore faith, seemingly, does not
pertain to understanding more than to wisdom, knowledge orcounsel.
On the contrary, The end of a thing is its fruit. Now the gift of understanding
seems to be ordained chiefly to the certitude of faith, which certitude is
reckoneda fruit. For a gloss onGalatians 5:22 says that the "faith which is a
fruit, is certitude about the unseen." Therefore faith, among the fruits,
responds to the gift of understanding.

I answerthat, The fruits of the Spirit, as stated above (I-II:70:1), when we
were discussing them, are so called because theyare something ultimate and
delightful, produced in us by the power of the Holy Ghost. Now the ultimate
and delightful has the nature of an end, which is the proper objectof the will:
and consequentlythat which is ultimate and delightful with regardto the will,
must be, after a fashion, the fruit of all the other things that pertain to the
other powers.
Accordingly, therefore, to this kind of gift of virtue that perfects a power, we
may distinguish a double fruit: one, belonging to the same power; the other,
the lastof all as it were, belonging to the will. On this way we must conclude
that the fruit which properly responds to the gift of understanding is faith, i.e.
the certitude of faith; while the fruit that responds to it last of all is joy, which
belongs to the will.
Reply to Objection1. Understanding is the fruit of faith, taken as a virtue. But
we are not taking faith in this sense here, but for a kind of certitude of faith, to
which man attains by the gift of understanding.
Reply to Objection2. Faith cannot altogetherprecede understanding, for it
would be impossible to assentby believing what is proposedto be believed,
without understanding it in some way. However, the perfection of
understanding follows the virtue of faith: which perfection of understanding is
itself followedby a kind of certainty of faith.
Reply to Objection3. The fruit of practicalknowledge cannotconsistin that
very knowledge, since knowledge ofthat kind is known not for its ownsake,
but for the sake ofsomething else. On the other hand, speculative knowledge
has its fruit in its very self, which fruit is the certitude about the thing known.
Hence the gift of counsel, which belongs only to practicalknowledge, has no
corresponding fruit of its own: while the gifts of wisdom, understanding and
knowledge, whichcan belongs also to speculative knowledge, have but one
corresponding fruit, which is certainly denoted by the name of faith. The
reasonwhy there are severalfruits pertaining to the appetitive faculty, is
because, as alreadystated, the characterof end, which the word fruit implies,

pertains to the appetitive rather than to the intellective part.
www.newadvent.org/
HOMILY: The SevenGifts of the Holy Spirit — Sails of the Soul, by Kenneth
Baker, SJ
Postedon October15, 2013
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdomand
understanding, the spirit of counseland might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2)
In this series of sermons we have reflectedon the infused theologicaland
moral virtues. Today I want to speak to you about the Seven Gifts of the Holy
Spirit which are given to us at our Baptism along with sanctifying grace.
Surely you have heard them mentioned at some time in a catechismclass, in
your reading, or in a sermon.
You probably have never heard a complete sermon on the Gifts of the Holy
Spirit. They are wisdom, understanding, knowledge,counsel, fortitude, piety,
and fear of the Lord. I will not try to explain eachone in detail today – it
would take too long. Rather, I will explain what they are as a group, what
they do for us, and their importance in our life of faith to help us save our
souls and reachHeaven.
The Gifts are supernatural principles or permanent dispositions given by God
to our spiritual faculties of intellect and will or appetite. The virtues are
principles of operation, like faith, hope, and charity. They are active. The
Gifts are more passive and enable us to receive help from the Holy Spirit to
practice virtue and lead a goodChristian life; they make it possible for us to
recognize and follow inspirations from the Holy Spirit.
Saint Thomas compares the Gifts to the sails of a boat and the virtues to the
oars of a boat. Let us imagine a couple sailing in a small boat that also has
oars. If there is no wind and they want to return to the port, they have to row

with the oars;the virtues are like that. If the wind fills the sails, then they
return to port easilywithout having to row; Saint Thomas likens the sails to
the Gifts – just as the sails catchthe wind and move the boat, so the Gifts
catchor receive impulses from the Holy Spirit which perfectthe acts of virtue
and help us to grow in love of God and holiness of life. In this regardSaint
Thomas says:“The gifts are perfections of man, whereby he is disposedso as
to be amenable to the promptings of God.”
Baptism is like a new birth in which we become “a new creature” according to
Saint Paul. Our new spiritual organism is composedof divine grace, the
theologicaland moral virtues, and the SevenGifts of the Holy Spirit. You
might say that it is a “complete package.” As we grow to maturity physically,
we also grow, or should grow, spiritually. So as we increase in grace and the
love of God, by a Christian life of prayer and the Sacraments, we also grow in
all the virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The person who tragicallyfalls
into mortal sin loses allof that, with the exceptionof faith and hope, which are
not lostunless one sins directly againstthem by apostasyor despair.
In the Bible, and especiallyin the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called
“the Gift of God.” Saint Petersaid in his Pentecostsermon(acts 2:14-42):
“Repentand be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness ofyour sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (v.
38)
The Holy Spirit with his Gifts is given to us to help us grow in the knowledge
and love of God. The Gifts help us to resist temptation, avoid mortal sin, and
practice virtue. In one of his articles, Saint Thomas asks whetheror not the
Gifts will remain with us in Heaven. He says that they will remain with us
and will be perfectly operative because we will be totally open to receiving
God’s influence on us.
The Gifts modify or influence or dispose or perfectour higher faculties of
intellect and will/appetite. The first four – wisdom, understanding,
knowledge, andcounsel – pertain to knowledge, so they influence our thinking
and judging about what is right and what is wrong in daily living. The last
three – fortitude, piety, and fearof the Lord – pertain to seeking the good and

so they influence our will, especiallyin controlling anger, overindulgence in
food or drink, and regulating the sexual drive so that we lead a chaste life.
Here I would like to say just a brief word about eachof the SevenGifts:
The Gift of Wisdom helps us to judge rightly concerning Godand divine
things through their ultimate and highest causes.
The Gift of Understanding helps the human mind to penetrate into the deeper
meaning of revealedtruths, such as the Trinity and Incarnation.
The Gift of Knowledge helps the human intellect to judge rightly concerning
createdthings and how they are related to eternal life and Christian
perfection.
The Gift of Counselhelps the human mind to judge rightly in particular
events what ought to be done in view of the supernatural ultimate end of
human life.
The Gift of Fortitude strengthens the will for the practice of virtue, with
invincible confidence of overcoming any dangers or difficulties that may arise.
The Gift of Piety arouses in the will a filial love for God as Father, and a
sentiment of love for all as our brothers and sisters and children of the same
heavenly Father.
The gift of Fearof the Lord perfects the virtue of hope by motivating the
individual to avoid sin out of reverential fear of God. It also assiststhe virtue
of temperance by helping to moderate emotions of anger, gluttony, and lust.
Becauseofsin, concupiscence, and human weakness, we needall the help we
can getin order to save our souls and to finally reachHeaven. Faith, hope,
and charity; grace, prayer, and the sacraments are essentialto remain faithful
to Christ and live a good, Christian life. God’s help is always available;the
Holy Spirit has been given to us in Baptism, as I said above. By his Gifts, he
illumines our mind and inspires our will so we can think, judge, and act
correctlyand morally.

As we grow in virtue, grace, and the love of God, the Gifts grow silently in us
and gradually make us more attentive and attuned to hear the Word of God
and to be led by the Holy Spirit to the final Kingdom of God for which God
made us and to which he is calling us. Now that you know something about
the SevenGifts of the Holy Spirit, today you should thank him for them, and
ask for the grace always to respond favorably to his illuminations and
inspirations so that you may grow in the knowledge andlove of God, since
that is the ultimate purpose of your life and the reasonwhy God createdyou
in the first place.
Amen. https://thevalueofsparrows.com/
In the SevenGifts of the Holy Spirit, what is the the distinction betweenthe
gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge?
Ask Question
5
In the SevenGifts of the Holy Spirit, what is the the distinction betweenthe
gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge?

cf. Isaiah11:2 (RSVCE) 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counseland might, the spirit
of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.[a]
Footnotes:a. 11.2 The enumeration of the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” is taken
from this passage.
and Catechismof the Catholic Church, 1831.
exegesispneumatologyisaiah
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edited Jul 28 '14 at 11:13
curiousdannii
10.5k73580
askedJul 28 '14 at 3:45
user13992
Closelyrelated(but taken from a different verse):Difference betweenwisdom
and knowledge in 1 Cor. 12? – Flimzy Aug 4 '14 at 11:00
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6 Answers
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OK, I admit these are not explicitly Christian examples, but I would submit
that they clearlydemonstrate the difference betweenknowledge,
understanding and wisdom.
Example 1:
Knowledge:you know when you press the "on" button, that the computer
activates.
Understanding: you know that after pressing the "on" button, the electricity
from the powergrid enters your machine, is processedby the powersupply,
and is distributed with the proper characteristicsforyour computer to work.
Wisdom: You know that because lightning can generate powersurges in the
electricalgrid that can damage electronic equipment, that it's better not to
turn on activate the powerbutton during a thunderstorm.
Example 2:
Knowledge:you know when your significant other is stressedupon arrival
home after work, and requires some chill out time to regaina cheerful
demeanor.
Understanding: you know that the stress is a result of the commute, and
perhaps events that happened during the day, and has little or nothing to do
with you personally.
Wisdom: you keepthe first interval immediately upon arriving home for
relaxing and stress reducing behaviors and activities, and save stress inducing
ones for later.

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answeredJul 28 '14 at 5:54
brasshat
5,4131731
Love the human examples. Answer would have been greatgiving these after
explaining the spiritual ones. – user13992Jul28 '14 at 6:18
Mojo had already given spiritual examples, and I didn't think I could do it
any better. – brasshatJul 28 '14 at 6:28
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2
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are briefly explained in the Catholic
Encyclopedia's article on The Holy Ghost
The gift of wisdom, by detaching us from the world, makes us relish and love
only the things of heaven.
The gift of understanding helps us to grasp the truths of religion as far as is
necessary.
The gift of counselsprings from supernatural prudence, and enables us to see
and choose correctlywhat will help most to the glory of Godand our own
salvation.

By the gift of fortitude we receive courageto overcome the obstacles and
difficulties that arise in the practice of our religious duties.
The gift of knowledge points out to us the path to follow and the dangers to
avoid in order to reachheaven.
The gift of piety, by inspiring us with a tender and filial confidence in God,
makes us joyfully embrace all that pertains to His service.
Lastly, the gift of fear fills us with a sovereignrespectfor God, and makes us
dread, above all things, to offend Him.
By my understanding then:
Wisdom is a disposition towards or love of the good.
Knowledge is a breadth of intellectual awarenessofreligious and spiritual
practices and truths.
Understanding is a deep understanding of the truths of which you're aware.
Put another way, all three dealwith "the things a personknows";but as it
pertains to "what a personknows", wisdomdescribes a holy direction and
disposition, knowledge describes a wide breadth, and understanding describes
greatdepth.
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svidgen
6,92332452
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1
Is there a difference?
The words in question in Is 2 are chokmah(2451;wisdom, skill, shrewdness)
and biynah (998; understanding, discernment). tabuwn (8394;understanding,
intelligence)is a close synonym, also used in conjuction with "wisdom" (e.g.
Ex 31:3, Job 12:13).
If there is a meaningful difference betweenthe two, it is subtle and there
might not be a brief way to express the idea in English, for in English these
two words are frequently used synonymously. From what little I've been
taught about ancient Hebrew, wisdom has a connotive "skill" about it and
might perhaps have more earthly, practicalapplications, whereas
understanding suggestsmore about knowing when and how and being able to
understand people and relationships.
People frequently draw a sharp contrastbetweenwisdom and knowledge as
they are used in the Bible, but the distinction betweenwisdom and
understanding is not so clear.
These links are more verbose discussions ofthis topic.
Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge ~ Three Key Words That Go
Together
About Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge
Bible Significance of Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom!
Caution: Speculation
I suspectthat they are enumerated in the catechismthat way because it is a
direct quotation from the text, not because there is an important difference.
Hebrew poetry likes parallelism, and this usage sounds like typical poetic
repetition to me. I can't say that I think "counsel"and "might" are easily

interchangeable, but "knowledge"and "the fear of the LORD" are equated in
at leastone other place (Prov 1:7).
Proverbs 4:7 (NASB)
The beginning of wisdomis: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring,
get understanding.
These words seemso closelyrelated, it seems to me that it requires wisdom
and/or understanding to know the difference.
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edited Jul 28 '14 at 4:44
mojo
5,5041524
These words seemso closelyrelated, it seems to me that it requires wisdom
and/or understanding to know the difference. Love this! Is there a difference?
Apparently there is and one distinction is the object of eachgift. Thank you
for the go at the answer. – user13992 Jul28 '14 at 4:42
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1

Starting with the common understanding [no pun intended]/characteristics of
wisdom:
Generally it is associatedwith a noble ripe old age.
Graspwhat works and doesn't.
Enables the possessorto make goodjudgments and arrive at sound decisions
i.e. judge wisely, and make wise decisions.
Etc.
The fear of the Lord, one of the sevengifts of the Holy Spirit, is the beginning
of wisdom, and the knowledge ofthe Holy One is insight. cf. Ps 9:10
(RSVCE)].
The insight of the one being led to wisdom is that God does not delights in
wickedness;evil may not sojourn with with him. [cf. Ps 5:4].
Thus the gift of wisdomenables the possessorto depart from evil, and do
good;so [they] shall abide for ever [cf. Ps 37:27 (RSVCE), 1 Pt 3:11, etc.]; and
the possessorfurther weighs and choosespeople and createdthings in the
light of their being goodor evil in the sight of God.
Goodworks, evil doesn't. Choose wisely!

The objectof the gift of understanding is the mysteries of faith [cf. the creed,
the Incarnation, the Redemption, etc.]. The gift enables the possessorto delve
deeper into these mysteries so as to live a fully Christian life.
The objectof the gift of knowledge is createdthings as signs which lead to
God, and their meaning to their elevationto the supernatural order. The gift
enables the possessorto see that everything comes from God, and that
everything is directed to him.
Summary:
wisdom > goodand evil [ultimate good= God].
understanding > mysteries of faith.
knowledge > God's creation[with God in the picture].
A brief on the other gifts:
The fear of the LORD > servile fear (absentin Our Lady and our LORD) and
holy fear of the LORD. The former, fear sinning because ofpunishment, hell,
etc., the latter, greathorror of sin arising from love of Godand some grasp of
the transcendence ofGodand of the infinite distance and the abyss which sin

opens betweenman and God. The latter engenders the proper respect
betweenthe possessorand their Father, God.
Recall, this is the gift that leads to the beginning of wisdom.
The gift of counsel(and the virtue of prudence) > the possessoris advisedon
which path to take, which waythey should go.
The gift of fortitude > possessorobtains the necessarystrengthto overcome
obstacles andpractice virtue.
The gift of piety (how does one pray, attend mass (e.g. dress, etc.), make the
sign of the cross, genuflect, show reverenceto God and the things of God?,
etc.)> possessorgets to appreciate their divine filiation, giving their
relationship with God the tenderness and affection of a son for his Father.
Source:Daily Meditations Volume Two:Lent and Eastertide | In
Conversationwith God, 83., 87.-93. |Francis Fernandez
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0
IsaiahChapter 11 (and hence, the verse you quoted) are qualities of the
Messiah- who we know to be Jesus Christ. These gifts are much different
from those we see laterin the NT (i.e. Paul's writings, the Pentecost). Irealize
this to be taught as things all people canpossess, but I understand it as noted
above - a prophecy detailing the very qualities of our Lord.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counseland might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord.
I had always beentaught, and understood, that these are not seven - but 3. So
I will try to explain the difference betweenthe "two":
Wisdom and understanding: We know that, throughout the New Testament,
that Jesus Christ displayed a level of wisdom and understanding beyond that
of the men and women of his time - and far, far beyond that of the Pharisees.
Jesus possessedthe very wisdom and understanding of God.
Knowledge and the fear of the Lord: Knowledge is knowing, we can't disagree
there. Jesus Christ knew who God was and knew how we were supposedto
live. Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law He had setin place. Spiritually
speaking, I think it's more than enough for us to sayJesus could and would
answerany spiritual question we had regarding God and the Laws. Now for
Fear. Jesus had complete fear of God, but it wasn't that He was afraid of Him.
We are taught across many denominations (Roman Catholic as well, if I'm not
mistaken) that Fearof the Lord is living in respect, awe, and submissionto
Him. We know Jesus did this. He had the utmost respectfor God, lived in awe
of His works (we know this, because He was perfectin fulfillment of this
prophecy), and we certainly know Jesus submitted Himself fully to the Will of
the Lord.
I'd sit here and quote Bible verses, but pretty much the entirety of the Gospels
display all of these. But that is the difference as I understood, was taught, and
teachto others.

Jesus had the wisdomand understanding of the Lord, as well as the
knowledge and fear(respect)for God that people before then, at the time, and
even today do not possess.
(note I did not say "everyone" atthe time, etc. because I don't know everyone)
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answeredAug 4 '14 at 13:27
Jesse
1,9111019
I had always beentaught, and understood, that these are not seven - but 3.
Please referto the end of the question: Footnotes:a. 11.2 The enumeration of
the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” is taken from this passage.and Catechismof the
Catholic Church, 1831. – user13992Aug 4 '14 at 19:00
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0
In certain Pentecostaland Charismatic circles, Isaiah11 describes the seven
spirits (or seven-fold spirit) of God from revelation.
The first one is "the Spirit of the LORD", then the Spirit of wisfom, etc. It is
interesting to note that this Catholic source citedleaves off the first, and
inserts "piety".

As for the question, referring to Proverbs, first let's differentiate knowledge
and understanding.
Proverbs 15:14 and Proverbs 18:15 both saythat the heart/mind with
understanding seeksknowledge. Proverbs 14:6 says that knowledge is easyfor
him who has understanding.
Elsewhere, in Ps 119:34, David aays, give me understanding that I might keep
your law.
Thus, knowledge ofthe law, specifically, whatit says, is simply knowledge.
David had the law, the knowledge,but he was seeking the understanding of
why such as such was so. The principle is then, if you know what the law says,
you canobey by rote. But, as you gain understanding of the Law, that all the
Law really hangs on love, say, the knowledge ofthe law becomes easy.
But, this is not limited to the law, but everything. As abivr, if someone has
understanding, they will generally seek outknowledge. If you have general
understanding of automobiles, when you encountera new car, saya hybrid
electric, the normal tendency would be to seek out knowledge.Or, if it is
computers, if you have generalunderstanding, how the parts interoperate,
you become more interestedin the individual parts thrmselves.
In this way, knowledge is simply the facts, data, where understanding is how
they "work". But, this understanding of how they work is not limited to the
knowledge itself, and the presence ofknowledge without understanding leads
one to investigation.
Then, we have wisdom, which is different than both. The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom, and the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, so wisdom
incorporates the hating of evil.
It doesn't take much 'wisdom', or sense, to begin to realize that many people
have both knowledge and understanding, yet they lack the sense ofwhat's a
goodidea. This is wisdom, and involves actionand restraint. By knowledge
and understanding, you could make the largestskiramp in the world, capable
of launching a skier(victim) a half a mile into the air... But, by wisdom, a life
is preserved (Ecclesiasties7:12).

You can also have wisfom without either of the other two, but they work well
together.
Not in your question is counseland might. The first might be refered to as the
ability to conveythe information to another, or to have it conveyedto you. A
man might have knowledge (all the pieces), understanding (how they work
together), and wisdom (when and how to use them), but he may not be able to
pass that onto anyone else. He has thrm, but cannot counsel, or share it
(teach). May who are very goodat what they do make lousy teachers, no
counsel. And, might is the ability to perform. You can know how it all works,
and be Able to teach, but might is the actualpower to implement it.
Various examples of combinations could be given. Many have some in greater
manifestation than others. They work the bestin combination, but eachis
something unique.
The other two, the spirit of the LORD and the fear of the LORD, will waitfor
somewhere else. https://christianity.stackexchange.com/
The Mind of Christ (Pt. II)
SevenFold Spirit of God
by Nancy Missler• November 1, 1996
26

Print this article
The Mind of Christ: Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding
I hope you are enjoying our series on being transformed by the renewing of
our minds (Romans 12:2). Transformationis simply an exchange oflife. It
means we are showing forth and manifesting Christ's Life instead of our own.
Scripture tells us that the only way we can do this is by the constantrenewing
of our minds; putting off the garbage in our own thinking and putting on the
Mind of Christ.
The Mind of Christ is a divine seven-fold process ofthinking that is bestowed
upon eachof us the moment we believe and acceptChrist into our hearts (2
Corinthians 2:12-16). My understanding for this supernatural gift of God (the
Mind of Christ) is Isaiah 11:1-2
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,
and a Branch shall grow out of his roots [this is Jesus, ofcourse]:
and the Spirit of the Lord shall restupon Him,
[that is] the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding,
the Spirit of Counseland Might, the Spirit of Knowledge
and the Fearof the Lord."
We have sharedin previous articles that the seven-foldSpirit of God that
creates the Mind of Christ in us is like a JewishMenorah. The Spirit of the
Lord is like the trunk or the centercore, and all the other supernatural
functions branch out from it. (See Chart 7) It's the Holy Spirit's mission, with
our consent, to produce the Mind of Christ in us, so that we canbe
transformed and live the truth.
What we're trying to do in this series ofarticles is not only to understand a
little more clearly what eachof these attributes or capabilities of the Mind of
Christ are, but also how to appropriate them in our daily lives. The goalof
our instruction is not to have more "headknowledge,"but to have God's
Wisdom (His Word) in our hearts become a living reality in our lives. As

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